Betty came by on her way
Said she had a word to say
About things today
And fallen leaves.

Said she hadn't heard the news
Hadn't had the time to choose
A way to lose
But she believes.

Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the plan
For lilac time.

If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
And all night shows
In summertime.

Betty said she prayed today
For the sky to blow away
Or maybe stay
She wasn't sure.

For when she thought of summer rain
Calling for her mind again
She lost the pain
And stayed for more.

Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the ban
On feeling free.

If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
I don't suppose
It's meant for me.

Oh, how they come and go
Oh, how they come and go.

Please believe me
The river told me
Very softly
Want you to hold me, ooo

Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breath under water 'till the end
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breath under water 'till the end
Yes, the river knows

Please believe me
If you don't need me
I'm going, but I need a little time
I promised I would drown myself in mystic heated wine

Please believe me
The river told me
Very softly
Want you to hold me, ooo

I'm going, but I need a little time
I promised I would drown myself in mystic heated wine

Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breath under water 'till the end
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breath under water 'till the end

"Down By The River" is a song composed by Neil Young.
Young explained
the context of the story in the liner notes of his 1977 anthology album
Decade, stating that he wrote "Down By The River", "Cinnamon Girl" and
"Cowgirl In The Sand" while delirious in bed in Topanga Canyon with a
103 °F (39 °C) fever.
The lyrics are apparently about someone who kills his lover by shooting
her.
The reason he gives for the killing is that she takes him to
emotional heights from which he cannot bear to go on. Young has provided
multiple explanations for the lyrics. In an interview with Robert
Greenfield in 1970 Young claimed that "there's no real murder in it.
It's about blowing your thing with a chick.
It's a plea, a desperate
cry." Introducing the song in New Orleans on September 27, 1984 Young
claimed that it depicts a man "who had a lot of trouble controlling
himself" who catches his woman cheating on him, then meets her down by
the river and shoots her.
A few hours later the sheriff comes to his
house and arrests him.

Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
baby
There is no reason
for you to hide
It's so hard for me
staying here all alone
When you could be
taking me for a ride.

Yeah, she could drag me
over the rainbow,
send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.

You take my hand,
I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness
is too much sorrow
It's impossible
to make it today.

Yeah, she could drag me
over the rainbow,
send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.

Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
baby
There is no reason
for you to hide
It's so hard for me
staying here all alone
When you could be
taking me for a ride.

Yeah, she could drag me
over the rainbow,
send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.

The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes that's where I want to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town

All he wanted was to be free
And that's the way it turned out to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town

Flow river flow, past the shady trees
Go river go, go to the sea
Flow to the sea

The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever it goes that's where I want to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town